TCEQ allows SJRA, city of Houston to proceed with flood mitigation strategies

By Jennifer Summer

Published
6:08 pm CDT, Monday, June 18, 2018

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality announced Saturday they will allow temporary flood mitigation strategies including the seasonal lowering of Lake Conroe to move forward in partnership with the city of Houston.

Because the city of Houston is the majority water-right holder of Lake Conroe, owning two-thirds of the water rights, the San Jacinto River Authority still needs the approval from the city of Houston for the temporary seasonal lowering plan.

At the April SJRA board meeting, board members approved a proposal for the temporary seasonal lowering of Lake Conroe which stated that starting April 1, it would begin to gradually reduce the level of Lake Conroe to 200 feet above mean sea level. Normal pool is 201 feet above msl. The plan would be to reach that mark by April 15. Then, on June 1, the SJRA would begin to capture flows to restore normal lake elevation.

“For the fall, starting on Aug. 1, the lake would be gradually reduced to 200 feet above msl by Aug. 15, then continued to be drained to 199 feet above msl by Aug. 31,” SJRA General Manager Jace Houston said about the proposal in May. “Starting Oct. 1, the SJRA would begin to capture flows to restore normal lake elevation.”

According to TCEQ, “a significant hurdle to final consideration of the proposed temporary strategy was a decision by the TCEQ on how releases of water from the two reservoirs would be ‘accounted for’ by the state. The TCEQ issues permits that limit how much water can be diverted each year from water supply reservoirs like Lake Houston and Lake Conroe.”

In addition to lowering Lake Conroe in the spring and fall, the proposed flood mitigation strategy also includes the pre-release of water from Lake Houston immediately prior to certain storms.

“The temporary flood mitigation would be in place for up to two years or until the dredging project is completed,” TCEQ stated. “The proposals from Houston and SJRA highlight the difficulty of balancing the state's long-term need for reliable water supplies with the short-term goal of protecting public health and safety while emergency measures are implemented to reduce flood risks.”

But, the Lake Conroe Association plans to continue to fight this most recent decision.

In a letter to homeowners a part of the Lake Conroe Association, President Mike Bleier wrote, “for all of us on Lake Conroe, this is not good news. As written to me by State Representative Will Metcalf, ‘This is obviously not the news we were hoping to hear. Senator Nichols and I will continue to work with our colleagues and others in Austin and Montgomery County to ensure the most protection possible for Lake Conroe.’”

The LCA board of directors had not had the chance to discuss the most recent developments or their next course of action, but Bleier encouraged any feedback on what their next step should be in the process.

At the SJRA May board meeting, several Kingwood residents were on hand to thank the SJRA board for coming up with the proposal for lowering Lake Conroe.

Kingwood and Lake Conroe resident Dennis Albrecht understands both sides of the coin when it comes to the lake lowering proposal, thanking board members for developing a proposal to help control flooding like his family experienced in the Kingwood area during Hurricane Harvey.

“We have the experience of being on both sides,” Albrecht said during the meeting in May. “We understand the concerns, but I’m here to thank the board for approving the proposal to temporarily lower Lake Conroe; we have experienced tremendous damage and concern about the future. We know there are many puzzle pieces that come together to prevent flooding and lowering Lake Conroe is not the long-term solution but it’s going to help us in the short-term.”

In a letter sent by the TCEQ to the city of Houston and SJRA, they stated, “if flood mitigation releases . . . result in an exceedance of the annual permitted amounts for diversion or release by SJRA of the City of Houston, the TCEQ executive director will exercise enforcement discretion with respect to such exceedance.”

While the TCEQ’s recent approval will allow for the city of Houston and SJRA to move forward with their proposed flood mitigation plans, SJRA will re-visit the plan calling the lowering of Lake Conroe every year.

“This plan will be reviewed and must be approved by a vote of the board members,” Houston said. “This is a short-term flood mitigation plan, while long-term plans such as dredging along the West Fork of the San Jacinto River are developed and put into action. The ultimate goal is to develop a joint operating strategy involving both Lake Conroe and Lake Houston.”